Mask structure



June 4, 1946'. J. E. DUGGAN 2,401,415

" MASK STRUCTURE I Filed April 20, 1944 INVENTOR.

I -JAMES EDWARD DUGGAN BY Mu MIL M 0 ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1946UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MASK STRUCTURE James Edward Duggan,Birmingham, Mich.

Application April 20, 1944, Serial No. 531,956

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to devices that are used duringpainting or plating operations to protect certain portions of articlesfrom paint or plating material applied to adjacent portions thereof, andrefers more particularly to masking elements for preventing paint orplating material from contacting or passing onto opposite sides of anarticle, such for example, the inside and outside of a tubular orannular article while opposite ends of such article are painted orplated.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a two-partmask structure wherein both parts may be employed at one time formasking simultaneously both the inside and outside of a tubular orannular article, or either of said parts may be employed alone formasking one of said sides, depending upon which one is to be masked.

Another object is to provide a mask structure wherein the two partsthereof are shaped to provide a vacuum between such parts and the sidesof the tubular or annular article intermediate opposite edges or endsthereof when the parts are applied to said sides, and are adapted toexert the greatest pressure against said sides adjacent opposite edgesor ends thereof for sealing purposes.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is shaped in such away relative to the faces of the article to be protected that it notonly will have a tight sealing engagement with the article but also willhave a vacuum lock with the article and thus will be maintained inproper masking position relative thereto.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is capable ofprotecting the portions of the article to be masked without interferingwith the painting or plating operations.

Another object is to provide a mask structure wherein one part thereofmay be utilized with a hanger or supporting wire as a carrier for theother part as well as the article being painted or plated while suchpainting or plating operations are being performed.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that may be easily andquickly applied to and removed from the article to be masked withoutmarring or impairing any part thereof.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that may be usedrepeatedly without being scrapped.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is simple inconstruction, economical to manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a masking structure applied to an annulararticle, and showing parts broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figure1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the structure illustratedin Figure Figure 4 is a detail elevational view of the inner part of themasking structure;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the outer part of the masking structure;

Figure 6 is an edge elevational view of the annular article.

Referring now to the drawing, A is a tubular or annular articleconstituting a race or spacer for a connecting rod (not shown) on thecrank shaft of an airplane engine, and B is a masking structureembodying my invention having inner and outer sections or parts In andII, respectively, of rubber or rubber composition for protecting theinside 12 and outside l3 of said article from paint or plating materialapplied to opposite ends or edges I4 and I5, respectively, thereof.

As shown the inner section IQ of the masking structure is preferably inthe form of an e1ongated plug having a body 2!! provided exteriorlythereof with an annular groove or recess 2| and provided at one end witha knob or finger piece 22. Preferably the body 20 is slightly oversizerelative to the inside of the annular article so that it has to becompressed slightly to be applied thereto.

The outer section ll of the masking structure is preferably in the formof an annulus and has a radially extending boss 40. Preferably the outersection II is slightly undersize relative to the outside of said annulararticle so that it has to be stretched slightly to be applied thereto.An annular groove or recess 4| is provided in the inner face of theannulus, while the passage 42 extends radially of the annulus andthroughout the length of the boss for the reception of a supporting wireor hanger'43.

In use when opposite ends l4 and I5, respectively, of the article A areto be plated, the inner and outer sections I a and II of the maskingstructure are engaged with the inside and outside, respectively, of thearticle as illustrated in Figure 3, to effect the desired maskingoperation. When the sections I8 and II are in this position the annularportions 50 and respectively, of the section I l are in ressure sealingengagement with the outside of the article adjacent opposite endsthereof, and the peripheral portions 52 and 53, respectively, of thesection [0 are in pressure sealing engagement with the inside of thearticle, hence a vacuum is created at 60 between the outer section IIand the outside of' the article, and a vacuum is created at 6| betweenthe inner section In and the inside of the article. As a result, thesections I0 and H of the masking structure tightly engage the inside andoutside of the article from one end to the other thereof and effectivelyprevent plating material applied to said ends of the article fromcontacting or reaching the sides thereof.

The supporting rod or wire 43 closes the passage 42 and is provided atits inner end with a spring pressed electric contact Til for engagementwith the outside of the article. At its outer end the wire 43 has ahooked portion H for supporting engagement with a conventional bus bar(not shown) of suitable plating apparatus. Usually this wire 43 issuspended from the bus bar so that the article A will be received withinthe usual tank (not shown) containing the plating .material.

The spring 2 for the contact H1 may be coner electrical engagement withthe outside of the article A.

Due to the connection between the supporting wire 43 and the outersection II of the masking structure and the tight engagement of bothsections l0 and I of the masking structure with the article A, it isapparent that the wire 43 is utilized as acommon carrier for the articleand the entire masking structure therefor when such elements aresuspended by the wire from the bus bar of the plating apparatus.

Sometimes it may be desired to plate the inside of the article A as wellas opposite ends thereof Without plating the outside thereof, in whichevent it is necessary to mask only the outside of the article. Then theinner section II) would not be employed at all. Only the outer section Iwould be engaged with the outside of the article so that the latter andsaid outer section may be suspended by the wire 43 from the bus bar topermit plating material within the tank of the plating apparatus tocontact the inside and opposite ends of the article. The outer section Hwould effectively prevent such plating material from contacting theoutside of the article.

Likewise the outside of the article as well as opposite ends thereof maybe plated while the inside of such article is masked by the innersection [0.

If painting instead of plating operations are employed, then the wire 43may in each instance be used merely as a support or hanger for themasking structure and the article carried thereby without being utilizedas an electrical conductor from a bus bar. In fact, the boss alone or heknob 22 alone may then be used by the operator as a means by which thesections of the masking structure and the article carried thereby may besupported during such painting operations.

Thus, from the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided aneflicient masking structure that has quite universal use during eitherpainting or plating operations to protect one or more parts of thearticle to be painted or plated.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the masking elements It)and II have cooperating beveled portions 80 and BI for directing paintor plating material toward the end portions l4 and I5 respectively ofthe annular member A. The beveled portions 80 of the masking element I 0are upon opposite sides of and incline toward the groove 2|, and arealternately engageable with opposite edges of the annular member A tofacilitate insertion of the body 20 endwise into the annular member. Thebeveled portions 8| of the masking element II are upon opposite sides ofand incline toward the groove 4!, and are alternately engageable withopposite edges of the annular member A to facilitate movement of themasking element ll onto the exterior of the annular member A. It willalso be noted that the knob 22 of the masking element ID has an axiallyextending passage 82 for the reception of a supporting wire or hanger(not shown). The body portion 23 of the masking element II] is providedfrom its lower end to the passage 82 with an axially extending socket 83that is adapted to receive the lower end portion (not shown) of asupporting wire or hanger for the masking element It], and to permitsufficient contraction of the body portion 20 for proper insertion ofthe peripheral portions 52 and 53 respectively of the body into theannular member for sealing engagement with the inner surface thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member frompaint or plating material applied to other portions of said member,comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilientmaterial and adapted to be 40 sleeved upon said annular member tosubstantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body beingprovided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted tocooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create avacuum and having beveled portions upon opposite sides of and incliningtoward said groove, said beveled portions bein alternately engageablewith opposite edges of the annular member to facilitate sleeving of thebody upon the annular member, said body being slightly undersizerelative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon said annularmember so that the annular portions of the body between said beveledportions and groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outersurface of said annular member.

2. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member frompaint or plating material applied to other portions of said member,comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilientmaterial and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member tosubstantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body beingprovided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted tocooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create avacuum, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside ofand adapted to be stretched upon said annular member so that theportions of the body upon opposite sides of said groove will havepressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annularmemher.

3. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member frompaint or plating material applied to other portions of said member,comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilientmaterial and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member tosubstantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body beingprovided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted tocooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create avacuum and having beveled portions upon opposite sides of and-incliningtoward said groove, said beveled portions being alternately engageablewith opposite edges of the annular member to facilitate sleeving of thebody upon the annular member, said body being slightly undersizerelative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon aid annularmember so that the annular portions of the body between said beveledportions and groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outersurface of said annular member, said body being provided at the outerside thereof with a radially projecting portion, and means forconducting an electric current radially through the masking element tothe annular member, including a support for both the masking element andannular member extending lengthwise of said radially projecting portionand having a hook-shaped portion engageable with a bus bar.

4. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member frompaint or plating material applied to other portions of said member,comprisin a masking element having an annular body of resilient materialand adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member to substantiallycover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in itsinner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with theouter surface of the annular member to create a vacuum, said body beingslightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to bestretched upon said annular member so that the portions of the body uponopposite sides of said groove will have pressure sealing engagement withthe outer surface of said annular member, said body being provided atthe outer side thereof with a radially projecting portion, and means forconducting an electric current radially through the masking element tothe annular member, including a support for both the masking element andannular member extending lengthwise of said radially projecting portionand having a hook-shaped portion engageable with a bus bar.

5. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member frompaint or plating material applied to other portions of said member,comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilientmaterial and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member tosubstantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body beingprovided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted tocooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create avacuum, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside ofand adapted to be stretched upon said annular member so that theportions of the body upon opposite sides of said groove will havepressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annularmember, and a common support for the masking element and annular memberincluding an electrical conductor extending radially through saidmasking element and provided within the concave groove aforesaid withmeans for establishing an electrical connection with said annularmember.

6. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member frompaint or plating material applied to other portions of said member,comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilientmaterial and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member tosubstantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body beingprovided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted tocooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create avacuum and having beveled portions upon opposite sides of and incliningtoward said groove, said beveled portions being alternately engageablewith opposite edges of the annular member to facilitate sleeving of thebody upon the annular member, said body being slightly undersizerelative to the outside of and adapted to be stretch'ed upon saidannular member so that the annular portions of the body between saidbeveled portions and groove will have pres sure sealing engagement withthe outer surface of said annular member, and a common support for themasking element and annular member including an electrical conductorextending radially through said masking element and provided within theconcave groove aforesaid with means for establishing an electricalconnection with said annular member.

JAMES EDWARD DUGGAN.

